


Cabin Fever

by Mister_Spock



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bleeding, Bonding, Force-Feeding, Friendship, Gen, Injury, Self Harm, Torture, kidnap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:41:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24010729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mister_Spock/pseuds/Mister_Spock
Summary: During some downtime before a new mission, Kirk convinces McCoy and Spock to join him on a two-week break at a cabin in the woods. An ideal location for hiking and relaxation, the three friends mean to do just that.When Spock starts to feel a little out of sorts, he is reluctant to mention anything to his friends and spoil the trip but things become more serious and much more sinister when it becomes apparent that there is an outside force at work. Someone seeking revenge and ready to punish.
Comments: 39
Kudos: 54





	1. Prologue

“Well, it's not camping but I'll take it,” Jim said looking out from the balcony. 

McCoy dumped his bag down and joined Jim, looking out at the impressive view- a beautiful canopy of trees was ahead of them. “I don't know why you think this is such a good idea,” he said, rolling his eyes and turned back to his bag. 

“Spock?” Jim called out. He appeared at the doorway, waiting to see what Jim wanted. “Come look at this view,” he insisted. Spock obeyed and stood beside Jim as they looked out at the view. “What do you think?”

Spock looked at Jim a moment and then back at the trees. “They are- very nice trees, Captain.” 

Jim shot him a look. “Okay, first of all, this is a beautiful view,” he insisted “And secondly, we're not on the ship so it's Jim.” 

Spock nodded before he turned to leave. 

“You seriously don't like the view?” Jim asked. Spock stopped and turned back. 

“It is very- green.” 

Jim noticed Bones' smirking. Jim let out a calming breath. “That it is,” he agreed and smiled. Spock took that as a cue to leave and departed again. “Don't say anything,” he told Bones who just continued to unpack in silence, a ghost of a smile still on his face. 

Jim lifted his own bag up and started to unpack. He and Bones were sharing a room but it bothered neither of them. If they had delayed their trip by another week, they could have got a three-bedroom cabin, but as Spock only had two weeks available before he would be leaving to meet Uhura and travel to New Vulcan with her, Jim had decided they this would be fine.   
He thought McCoy seemed quite keen to wait a week and have a week without Spock, but he didn't outright say it. 

Bones liked Spock, but they didn't always have an easy friendship. It could become heated if they were left to talk about something they were passionate about, especially if Jim didn't intervene. But it was easier for them now.   
Since Altamid they had become closer. It wasn't obvious because they did act the same around others as before. But Bones had seen a different side to Spock.   
He'd seen emotion from Spock before, but it had been anger. Anger at Jim. And despite knowing Jim had completely provoked the response from Spock, it still had spooked him a little that Spock was so strong and could be that vicious and overpowering. And being in sickbay, he wasn't around Spock as much as the others. 

But Altamid changed that. They were stranded together and like it or not, Bones was stuck with an injured and upset Spock. Kirk wasn't really sure exactly what had happened. McCoy gave him a vague account, mostly of Spock's injury, but he did mention Ambassador Spock's death and there was something gentle about it on Bones' part. If it were just Jim and Bones together, he didn't rip on Spock the way he usually did. And, although he'd never admit it, he knew Bones worried a lot more than he used to about Spock.   
When someone could go so long unscathed, seeing them injured so badly could unnerve anyone. Spock wasn't as invulnerable as everyone had imagined him to be. 

The fact they were both here on this trip showed how far they had come. Bones would have been there no matter what. But Spock always seemed to have other things to do and this probably wasn't high on his list of things to do.   
But he had agreed to come, though Kirk was pretty certain that was down to Uhura, it didn't matter. 

They were all here and they were going to have a good time. 

~


	2. By The Fire

McCoy headed inside to get some more beer for himself and Jim. 

Kirk had made a campfire close to the cabin and they sat in chairs surrounding it. Spock joined them to be social, but he didn't drink or eat any of the food they had bought with them. Before he'd left, Bones had been teasing Spock about his lack of social skills, sitting at the campfire without drink or food and although he was joking, McCoy was getting close to being a little too drunk to mind himself. Jim could see something going wrong soon. 

“You don't have to stay out here if you don't want too,” Jim said. Spock's loyalty to Jim was unquestionable, but he didn't want his friend to be doing anything he didn't really want to do. 

“I am fine,” Spock answered. “You were right I have not been out in the woods on a “boys holiday” before,” Spock made the term boys holiday seem like the most alien thing he'd ever heard. “I would like to experience it.” 

“I'm just worried that McCoy-” 

“Do not be concerned. The Doctor is merely letting off steam, as it were.” 

Kirk smiled, a little more tightly than he would have liked. He didn't mind McCoy letting off steam, but he didn't want that steam all directed at Spock, whether he could take it or not. “You're right. I'll go give him a hand,” he said and left Spock alone. 

Spock heard the door close and assumed that Kirk was going to talk to McCoy. He looked out into the dense woodland ahead of them. It was impressive, Spock had to admit, although it wasn't somewhere he'd have picked for a vacation. It was a far cry from Vulcan and the air was a little moister than he was used too. It made his lungs hurt a little from the excessive moisture in the air, but he guessed it was the same for a human on Vulcan. 

The planet they were on had been created to be idyllic. The cabins were two stories high, the front opening into a wooded area where they could walk and camp with the rear of the property, where the bedrooms were, having the view over the top of the trees. You had to take an underground lift to get to the ground at the rear of the building but that went straight into the dense forest. This area was more leisurely. Intensive hikes for those with experience were at the rear. Spock felt like Jim would most likely make them take a hike at some point. 

He rubbed absently at the scar that was still present from the Yorktown fiasco. They could remove the scar with some surgery but Spock didn't want to spend any longer than he had too laid up in hospital on a sickbed, so he would live with the scar. It wasn't a neat little thing. It had been cauterized by McCoy with haste that had made it rough and crude. It was still green and bumpy and sometimes, it irritated him. But he hadn't wanted to ask McCoy to fix it afterward, as though he were ungrateful for all that he had done. So he could live with it. With the occasional glimpses, he would catch of it in the shower or when dressing and with the slight irritation it sometimes caused. 

The door opened and Kirk and McCoy returned with more beer. “I made you a tea,” McCoy said, holding out a cup to Spock. 

“Thank you,” Spock said retrieving the cup. He absolutely did not want tea. He could smell McCoy had made a traditional human white tea with sugar and milk, neither of which sat well with Spock's digestion. He could mention it, but McCoy was trying to be nice and was drunk so instead, he sipped the too sweet, too hot drink and feigned a grateful nod. He'd have to make sure he offered to make drinks for his friends from now on so as not to get another cup like this. 

“It's nice out here,” Jim said, more to himself than anyone else. 

“Very pleasant,” Spock replied anyway. 

“It was a good idea, Jim,” Bones agreed. “So what's the plan for tomorrow?” 

“Well, there's a short walk through the woods to this natural pool. I thought we could go there. It's not that far away so no big trek.” 

“Sounds good, but he won't like it,” McCoy said and pointed to Spock. 

“If you plan to swim, then I shall not join you in that activity, but I am more than happy to accompany you,” Spock said. 

“There you go!” Jim said overly happy that both his friends were agreeable to his plan. He reached down and picked up the bag of marshmallows and speared them onto some sticks and handed one to Bones and Spock before preparing a third for himself. Spock watched the other two and followed their lead with toasting marshmallows over the fire.   
“First time?” Jim asked. 

Spock nodded. 

“Didn't your father take you camping?” Bones asked. 

“Not like this. But we would do certain survival type exercises in the dessert on Vulcan.” 

“That doesn't sound like fun.” 

“It was different. More for survival than enjoyment,” Spock explained. 

“Should be ready to eat now,” Jim said, retrieving his toasted marshmallow. McCoy's had burnt a little but both he and Spock also took theirs away from the fire. He took a bite of the gooey, sweet substance and made various noises of enjoyment until it was gone. He looked to Spock to see a not overly enthusiastic look on his face. “You don't like it?” he asked. 

“It is rather sweet,” Spock said. 

“Oh,” Jim said. 

“I do not find it unpleasant, it is just that Vulcan has many spicy foods. The sweeter items are more delicate than this. It is rather shocking to a Vulcan palette.” 

“Half Vulcan,” Bones reminded him, needlessly. 

“Yes,” Spock agreed. “If you do not mind, gentlemen, I shall take my leave of absence. I would like to meditate before sleep this evening.” 

“Yeah, 'course Spock, that's fine. Goodnight,” Jim said. 

McCoy muttered a goodnight and Spock left, taking his tea with him. 

Once out of earshot, Kirk whacked McCoy's arm. “Ow! What was that for?” 

“Half Vulcan? Really?” 

“What? He is!” 

Kirk rolled his eyes and drank his beer before he placed his next marshmallow in the fire.


	3. Water

Spock heard Jim & McCoy when they finally woke up, speaking softly to one another in the next room. 

The pair had gone to bed a lot later than Spock, who had lightly meditated for a while first. When he'd eventually got into bed, his stomach was unhappy about the sugar content he had allowed himself to consume. It wouldn't make him sick, he'd have to eat a vast quantity to allow that to happen, but it would cause some minor disruptions. 

Tomorrow, when McCoy was sober and hopefully not hungover, Spock would inform him of the tea he did prefer. And if they were to spend more days by the campfire in the evenings, Spock decided it would be a good idea to take himself an item of food he could eat with them, so they didn't try and force him to try their own offerings. He knew it was well-meant but it was easier for him to compromise. 

Spock had drunk some water he'd prepared earlier from the flash beside his bed. It seemed to ease his stomach quickly and he fell to sleep soon after, briefly being disturbed by McCoy and Kirk's noisy return, but soon falling back to sleep.   
He'd had some strange dreams. Less than dreams, in fact, images. Things he didn't know or had never seen but they assaulted his mind and sent dread and fear through him when he thought about them. He spent a little time meditating to clear those images from his mind so they would not disturb his day.   
He showered, dressed, and then prepared himself breakfast and ate it alone. He could hear gentle snoring from McCoy and Kirk still. He sat alone downstairs for a while before he decided to return to his room when he had his PADD. He could send Nyota a message, letting her know about the area they were staying and what they had done so far and had planned. She'd wanted to know all about it. 

It was halfway through his message to Nyota that he heard the others starting to stir. He placed aside the PADD and decided to make a coffee for his friends. He heard them moving about above him and hoped they would be well enough for their intended trip that day.   
Spock considered making breakfast for them but wasn't sure how well they would feel after consuming alcohol. He hadn't heard either of them become ill so he thought that was a good sign, however, he decided to stick with the coffee for now. He would prepare breakfast if they required it later. 

He returned upstairs and knocked on their bedroom door before leaving the coffee on a tray on the floor outside their room and headed back to his own. He sat back down where he had left his PADD to find that it had powered down. He attempted to switch it back on but it failed.   
He should be able to fix it with the correct tools. He stood up only to find Jim stood at the doorway, a sleepy smile on his face. He stood in his boxers and a t-shirt with a dressing gown pulled over himself. 

“Thanks for the coffee,” Jim said. 

“You are welcome. Would you like breakfast?” Spock asked. 

“Spock, you're not here to wait on us. You don't have to make us breakfast,” Jim said. 

“It is of no consequence, Jim. I was attempting to communicate with Nyota but the PADD I was using seems to have malfunctioned.”

“In other words, you have nothing better to do.”

“So it would seem.”

“Well okay, but I'll get dressed and come down and help you,” Jim said. 

“Very well,” Spock agreed. 

~

“Is the Doctor in good spirits?” Spock asked as he stepped up beside Kirk. McCoy was a way off in front and Spock spoke in hushed tones so he did not overhear. 

“Hm?” Kirk responded. 

“The Doctor. Is he well?” 

“Oh, yeah, he's fine.” 

“He seems somewhat subdued this morning.” 

“He's- got some stuff on his mind. He'll be fine. I can hear the water up ahead,” Kirk said, changing the subject away from McCoy.   
Kirk sped up a little, not catching up with McCoy, who quite honestly was like a bear with a sore head that morning but leaving Spock behind as well. Spock had noticed McCoy's bad mood and although Spock wasn't wrong, it wasn't his place to say anything. If McCoy wanted to tell Spock what was on his mind, then he would. Jim would not get stuck in the middle of anything.

A few minutes later and they were at there destination. The water was beautiful and clear and Kirk wasted no time stripping down to his bathing trunks and diving in. The water was as perfect in temperature as he had hoped and he started to swim to the far side of the pool and then back. McCoy pulled his own t-shirt off but seemed more reluctant to go in. 

Spock found the most comfortable looking spot in the Sun and sat near the water. 

“You sure you're not coming in?” McCoy asked him. 

“It's too cold for my liking,” Spock replied. I shall be quite content in the sun though. It is a more pleasurable area.” 

McCoy smirked a little and then waded into the water and joined Kirk. Spock watched them as they decided to partake in several swimming contests, with Spock being tasked as the official from the bank. Spock would have bought his PADD with him and done some reading. He would have to attempt to fix it when he returned later today.   
Eventually, worn out, the two men came back on land and lay their towels done near to where Spock had sat and they both lay in the sun, drying and resting in equal parts. 

“I told you this was a great place,” Kirk said to both of them. “We should have bought the camping gear.” 

“Ugh!” McCoy groaned. “Give up with the camping already.”

“Fine, I'll go camping without you,” Kirk retorted. 

“Good, then I can get a decent night's sleep,” McCoy shot back. 

“Well, you can always sleep on the couch.” 

“It may have been wise for us to have embarked on this trip with a three-bedroom cabin,” Spock interjected. 

“We'd have only had a week with you then,” Kirk said. 

Spock almost smiled. “I am sure you would have managed.”

“It doesn't matter anyway. Once you go, we still have this place another week. I thought it might be fun to stay on a little longer, even if Bones wants to go. There are some great hikes around here.”

“I wouldn't let you go out there alone,” McCoy grumbled but he sounded a little happier than he had. 

Jim smiled at Bones before his gaze drifted to Spock. He and McCoy had both dressed in shorts and t-shirts. Spock had black trousers and a long-sleeved black top. “Aren't you hot, Spock?” he asked. 

Spock looked up absently from studying a plant growing close by. “I am quite comfortable. I would prefer it a touch warmer, myself.” 

“I guess a desert does that to you, huh?” Jim said and lay back down on the ground. “This is perfect. I could sleep out here.”

“Well don't forget to take you supplement every day to prevent burning,” McCoy said. 

“I took it,” Jim said.

“I may take a short walk to look at the fauna in the surrounding area,” Spock said, standing up. 

“Oh. You want us to come with you?” Jim asked. 

“Would you like to look at plants and flowers, Jim?” Jim didn't answer but the look on his face said enough. “I suggest you stay here. If you get bored with waiting, I will be able to find my way back,” Spock added. 

“We'll wait for you,” Jim insisted. “Just don't go too far.”

Spock nodded and headed out. 

~


	4. Confessions

“He was worried, you know?” Jim said a short while after Spock had left. 

“Worried about what?” Bones asked. 

“You. He could tell something wasn't right.” 

“Well, I hope you told him it was a hangover.”

Jim exhaled. “No, I didn't say that. I just said you had stuff on your mind and that was all. And he didn't push. But you know, we're all here together for two weeks, Bones. He's going to notice sooner or later that it's not just a bad mood.” 

“Look I came here because you wanted me too. And I'm not being a dick, but the reason I didn't want Spock to come was that I don't want to talk to him about my shit. He's got his own stuff going on, and you think my problems are anything compared to that? 'My ex-wife doesn't want me to see my daughter any more,' 'Oh yeah? My planets dead. Fuck you.'”

Jim rolled his eyes and sat up to look at his friend. “I'm not saying you have to even tell him what's going on. Just tell him something. 'If I seem a bit moody, it's not you.' I get the feeling that he thinks we should have come on our own as it is.”

McCoy sighed. “Dammit,” he said getting up. 

“Where are you going?” 

“To speak to him,” Bones said. 

“I didn't mean now!” Jim protested. 

“If I don't do it now, I won't do it at all. I won't be a minute.” 

~

Spock heard the footfall heading his way. He placed the flask of water back into his bag. He was grateful for Nyota's thoughtful gift before he left. He had not got her one and wondered what he could get for her. 

He was surprised to see McCoy approaching him. Spock stood up, leaving the plant species he was studying where it was. “Is everything okay?” Spock asked, slight concern in his expression. 

“Yeah, it's fine,” McCoy said. “Look, I just wanted you to know that there's some stuff going on with me that might make me act like an ass, okay? I'll probably drink more than I should and say something stupid and if I do and I'm out of line you are more than welcome to punch me in the face.”

“Doctor, I would do no such thing no matter what you said,” Spock corrected. 

“I can be a real dick when I'm drinking,” McCoy protested. 

“Not only on those occasions,” Spock added. McCoy some a glint of humour in Spock's eyes and found a smile tugging at his lips. 

“Wow, who needs punches with barbs like that, huh?” Spock's expression seemed to change at that remark, as though he wasn't sure if the humour had been taken the right way but McCoy continued, hoping his next words would ease Spock. “I just wanted you to know, as my friend, that if I step out of line you can push me back in line, okay?” 

Spock nodded his understanding. 

“Okay, I'm going to-”

“Leonard,” Spock said before he could move on. “If you do wish to talk-”

“I know. Thanks. I'll leave you to your plants.” 

~

Once Spock had finished with the plants, the three of them headed back together. There was still a few hours of sunlight left and they planned to sit around the campfire again that evening. Jim and McCoy both wanted showers and something to eat and Spock wanted to meditate and clean up himself beforehand. He planned to take his meal for the evening with him hoping to avoid any force-feeding of their overly sugared foods.   
He hadn't quite got round to talking to either of them about it. 

Jim was the first one out and got the fire going, McCoy joining him not long after. They had beer, more snacks to feast on and were deep in conversation by the time Spock joined them. 

He had a bowl of fruits and vegetables with him, lightly cooked. 

“Okay, let's play a game,” McCoy said. He sounded a little drunk again which might account for the fact that he thought Spock's appearance was a good time to suggest a game.   
“Truth or dare.”

“Bones, that's a bad idea,” Jim said. 

“No, no, it's a good game. You start and we go clockwise. So Jim, truth or dare?” 

Jim smiled. “Dare.”

“I dare you to.... drink that whole beer in one go.” 

Spock looked at Jim and in turn, Jim shrugged. “I accept that dare.” He proceeded to drink the bottle down and wiped the excessive beer from around his mouth and chin afterwards. 

Jim looked to Spock. “Truth or dare?” 

Spock looked at Jim for a long time. He didn't want to play this game, it seemed trivial. However, he thought a dare would be easier than truth. “Dare.” 

“I dare you to.... take a swig of beer,” Jim said. 

“Swig?” Spock asked. 

“A mouthful,” Jim explained. 

“That's his dare? That's lame!” McCoy said. 

“Shut up, it's my dare and that's what I choose.” Jim passed Spock a beer and Spock followed through with his dare. He didn't care for the beverage at all, from the looks of it. “Now you have to ask Bones,” Jim instructed, as though Spock wouldn't have worked that part out for himself. 

“Truth or dare?” he said with little to no enthusiasm. 

“As you two pussy'd out, I'll go with the truth.” McCoy sounded proud of himself for that. 

Spock looked at Jim for guidance. “Just ask him whatever it is you want and he has to answer truthfully,” Jim said.

“Okay. Doctor, what is it that has you so distressed?” 

“No, no, not that,” Jim interrupted. “It's a light-hearted game, Spock. Ask him something embarrassing like when he lost his virginity or something.” 

“No, it's fine. I'll answer that one,” McCoy said. He took a drink first. “My bitch ex-wife is stopping me from seeing my daughter. So there you go. That's why Daddy drink, Joanna.” He took several gulps more from the bottle. 

“Let's call it a night, huh?” Jim said. 

“No, oh no, we swap, now we go back down the line,” McCoy said. “So truth or dare, Spock?” His eyes burn with anger which was misplaced at Spock right then. “You did a dare last time so it should be the truth this time,” McCoy insisted. 

Spock let out a calming, steady breath. He felt like everything was precariously balanced right now, including his own emotional control. “Truth, then,” Spock answered, his voice sounding steadier than he thought it would. 

McCoy took a moment to think. He wanted something painful because Spock had hurt him with his question, albeit unintentionally. 

“Bones-” Jim said, trying to get the man to listen to him before he said anything. 

“I got it!” McCoy declared. 

“Bones!” Jim tried again, but he didn't hear Jim, didn't even see him. All he saw was Spock. 

“How many friends have you had in your whole life? And I mean that you could call a friend and know they would call you it back, without hesitation. How many?” McCoy smiled, giddy with his own cruelty in a drunken haze. He hurt and he wanted someone else to hurt too.   
He looked at Spock expectantly. 

And he did not see the fist that came for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to reassure you that this isn't going to descend into madness with fistfights and arguments, but drinking and emotional upset are a bad mix.


	5. The Morning After

Spock woke from a restless sleep, still tired and aching. It had not been a good night. 

He had been dumbfounded when McCoy crumpled onto the ground as Jim cursed and muttered as he rubbed his fist but it broke Spock from his own rage building inside him. Jim did it so Spock wouldn't. 

Jim, who knew first hand what that rage felt like when it was directed at you. Spock stood up and left without a word. He didn't ask Jim if he was okay if he could manage, didn't even ask about McCoy. He needed distance from them and that was all that mattered. 

He'd walked. Let his mind calm itself and then before returning to the cabin, Spock had run. He'd set himself a section to run to and from and had raced back and forth for as long as he could until his lungs hurt from trying to draw in more air and his legs felt like they may not be able to make the trip back. He didn't give himself a second to recover, he just walked back to the cabin. 

By the time he got back, Kirk was already back with McCoy. He could hear them upstairs, talking loudly. Spock couldn't bear the thought of seeing either of them so remained downstairs. Jim had dropped Spock's own bag, which he'd left behind, next to the table, and Spock retrieved his flask of water and drained it. He felt numb and tired and drained and he wanted Nyota's comfort and warmth right then, more than anything.   
He remembered the broken PADD and it hurt him to think he could not seek out her comfort. He would have tried to fix the thing right now but he knew he would be unsuccessful in his current state. 

The sound of retching carried down the stairs and Spock closed his eyes, wishing the sound away. He needed to meditate and he needed to sleep. Grabbing his flask, he filled it with fresh water. Before it was finished, he felt a presence beside him and turned. 

Jim stood there. “Are you okay?” he asked. 

“I am fine,” Spock said. He didn't take into account how he must look from his excessive exercising before he had returned. 

Jim looked at him, undoubtedly unsure of Spock's word before he nodded. “He's going to apologize for what he said-” Jim started but Spock just shook his head. Jim figured Spock didn't want to talk about it and dropped it. “Don't stay up too late,” he said as he grabbed a glass of water and headed back upstairs. 

Spock could hear them both more clearly as he headed up the stairs. It sounded like McCoy was crying and that just made Spock feel like he had punched him. He hadn't understood the game and he'd hurt someone. Someone he did consider a friend.   
He'd briefly tried to meditate, but he couldn't block out the sounds coming from the next room and opted for sleep instead. 

He lay in bed now, in the silence of the early morning. He looked at the time and it was just after 4 am. No wonder he was still tired. 

His mouth felt dry and he drank from the flask beside his bed, draining almost half the contents. He was tempted to get up and head downstairs, taking the PADD with him to work on, but the air felt chilly to him and he decided to remain in bed for a while longer. At around 6 am, Spock had waited long enough. He quickly dressed in his warmest clothes, grabbed his PADD, and headed downstairs. 

He made himself tea and set to work on repairing the PADD.

~

When Jim came downstairs later that morning, Spock was sat hunched over the table with pieces of a PADD spread everywhere. 

“Morning,” Jim said as he came over. “Can I make you some tea?” He could see an empty cup close to where Spock was working and it took Spock a while to respond and actually look up at the other man. 

“Jim,” he replied. 

“Are you okay?” Jim asked. Spock wasn't looking his best but he didn't want to outright tell him that. 

“Is your PADD working?” Spock replied, not answering the question. “I can find nothing wrong with this one.” 

Jim thought Spock sounded exasperated. “Um, I haven't checked. I'll go get mine and you can see for yourself,” he said. He would have finished making the coffee first but decided Spock needed the distraction more. He quickly headed up the stairs where Bones was still sleeping off his hangover and grabbed his PADD. He carefully closed the door again to let his friend get as much rest as he could before quickly coming down the stairs and putting the PADD in Spock's hands. 

Spock didn't say anything as he turned on the device. 

“Spock, are you okay?” Jim asked again, sitting in one of the empty seats at the table. 

Spock looked up this time, the glowing light from the PADD reflected against his face and made him look pale and sickly. And the screen dimmed the impression went away and Spock looked normal. “Yes, I am, sorry Jim. I have been absorbed in my work.”

Jim looked at Spock's work which seemed to be the destruction of a PADD. “Listen, if mine doesn't work, don't take it to pieces, okay?” 

“I shall not,” Spock replied. 

Jim made Spock tea, even though he never said if he wanted it or not and sat and drank his own coffee. He sat on the comfy sofa, looking out the large windows at their view. It was so peaceful here. He just wished his friends were having a better time. 

On Jim's working PADD, Spock wrote a brief note to Nyota to let her know all was well and that he looked forward to seeing her soon. He also quickly explained the note was short due to his PADD not functioning and that he would try to fix it but otherwise he would see her for the arranged trip to New Vulcan.   
He felt better having sent the note to Nyota but still couldn't understand why the other PADD had stopped working. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to do this now. He needed to meditate. His mind was a mess. Spock took the cup that Jim had left for him and took it with him.   
“Jim, I am returning to my room to meditate. I will come back when I am finished. If you two wish to go out for the day, please don't wait for me.” 

“Okay,” Jim said as Spock headed upstairs. 

~

Leonard's head thumped. 

He felt awful. Truly horrible. It was a combination of being hungover terribly, remembering why he had got so drunk in the first place, and then what had happened last night. 

He'd been such a dick. Spock hadn't deserved to get the brunt of his anger and he knew he needed to stop drinking and fuelling his anger. And he needed to apologize to Spock. If he did all of that, well, he still wouldn't have his daughter. 

But the wallowing wasn't helping him. He pushed himself out of bed and after taking care of a few morning routines, he headed downstairs, kicking something down the stairs as he went. “Fuck!” he cursed hearing something metal clanking all the way down. 

Jim was at the bottom of the stairs when he got there, holding up the flask that Nyota had gifted to Spock before the trip. 

“Aw, shit, is that what I knocked over?” 

“That's what came flying down the stairs,” Jim said. 

“It was outside Spock's door. I just caught it with my foot when I passed by.”

“Well it's empty, maybe he out it out for later,” 

“Isn't he up yet?” 

“Yeah, he went to meditate. He told us to go out if we wanted and you need to get some of that stress out of you for your own good. Next time, I won't jump in and hit you first,” 

McCoy grimaced at the situation and Jim shoved a cup of coffee in his direction. “Drink up. I'll leave Spock a note to let him know where we're going in case he wants to join us,” Jim said. 

He left a message on the table on top of all of the parts of the dismantled PADD. He then grabbed Spock's flask of water, filled it up, and left it on the table as well. 

~ 

They headed further than they had the day before, past the lake into a nice clearing in the forest. 

“You got to work something out, Bones. You can't keep carrying this around with you.”

“I know. I just want to be a good Dad and she won't let me have a chance. If I were some deadbeat Dad I could understand it, but I just want what's best for her. I know five year missions are hard on a family, but cutting me off like this-”

“You can't let her get away with it. Fight her over it!”

“She always wins,” Bones said, he sounded as defeated as he looked. 

“Only because you never fought her hard. You want this more than anything else. You never cared about any of that other stuff. This is different. And it's not just about you, it's about Joanna. She has a right to see her Dad, okay?” 

“I don't know if I have that fight in me, Jim.” 

“Look, as someone who grew out without their Father, I can tell you first hand how much I missed it. You're right there, ready for her. I don't know, maybe try reasoning with her again.” 

“I'll think about it. Do me a favour when we get back?” 

“Anything,” Jim said. 

“Get rid of all the booze. I can handle beer but I don't think I want to be drinking anything stronger than that,” 

Jim smiled. “Sure thing.”


	6. Amends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read it, please review it. 
> 
> And if you're thinking 'Wow, this is kinda low drama/angst/h/c for Mister Spock then you'd be right but the story isn't over yet. :)

When Spock emerged from the bedroom the first thing he noticed outside of the door was his flask and a note in Jim's handwriting. 

He picked it up and read his plans for the day and asked him to come along if he wanted too. Spock had already decided he wasn't going to join them today. He hoped it wouldn't be looked at as a snub by either man, but he felt some time with just the two of them would be good. Spock also wanted some time alone. 

He'd managed a gentle meditation. Enough to clear his mind a little of the clutter. He needed to resolve things with McCoy and until he did that, he wouldn't really feel better about things but for now, while the man was absent, he was okay with how things stood. 

Deciding to put the time to good measure, he returned to his PADD and decided to compile the pieces back together, maybe it would work this time. Jim must have taken his own PADD back, Spock had been tempted to compare his work to Jim's PADD but that would have meant partially taking it to pieces and Jim had specifically asked him not to do that. 

The work wasn't taxing, not really, he just needed to get his mind on the job. 

~

When Jim and Bones returned to the cabin all the pieces to the PADD had been replaced by one whole PADD. It was switched off so Jim didn't know if Spock had fixed it or not and the Vulcan was nowhere in sight to ask. 

“Maybe he went back to meditate,” Bones said, sensing Jim's wonder. “I doubt he'd have left without leaving a note.”

“I guess you're right,” Jim agreed. 

They went through the same routine as the last couple of days, resulting in them eating outside by the campfire. Spock still hadn't shown up so Jim decided to check in on him, just in case. 

He knocked gently on Spock's door and waited for a response. It was slow in coming, but eventually, Spock replied. Opening the door, Jim barely peeked inside. “Hi,” he whispered. “We got back and are sitting outside if you want to join us.”

“Thank you for the consideration,” Spock replied not indicating whether he was to join them or not. 

Jim smiled and left him alone. He'd join them or he wouldn't, that was up to Spock. 

~

Spock came down to the kitchen and prepared himself something to eat before joining the others outside by the campfire. 

“I'm just going to use the bathroom,” Jim said and left the pair to it. Subtle, it wasn't. 

“Listen, Spock, about yesterday-”

“It is unnecessary,” Spock interrupted. “I believe we can put it down to a misunderstanding on both our parts and leave it at that.”

McCoy, although grateful for Spock's quick forgiveness, still felt he owed Spock more than just that. “I just feel like I need to explain,” he tried again. 

“You owe me no explanation,” Spock insisted. “Please, let us forget it and move on.” 

“It's nice out here,” Bones said. 

“It is peaceful,” Spock agreed. 

“Maybe sometime we can teach you how to play Truth or Dare properly,” McCoy said. 

“I believe I get the idea of it now. But I do have a truth for you if you care to hear it?” Spock said. 

“Sure,” Bones said, a tad nervous that there was something that Spock needed to get off his chest after all. 

“I find your human food and drink quite vile,” 

McCoy laughed at that in surprise. “The marshmallows?” 

“Quite ghastly. I do not know how you managed to eat them,” Spock said. 

Jim arrived back and joined them again. “So Spock, did you fix the PADD?” 

“I pieced it back together but it still would not work,” Spock explained. 

“That's weird.”

“It is. It worked when we first arrived. I supposed some sort of software malfunction is not implausible.” 

“Well, you can always use mine of you need to,” 

“Thank you,” Spock said. He didn't think it would be necessary but it was thoughtful. 

~

Spock prepared for bed that night, thinking how tonight was compared to last night. He was grateful how easily things with McCoy had been sorted. They had all agreed that after a couple more nights here, they could camp out as Jim wanted, maybe a night or two, but probably just the one. But Jim was thrilled with that. But he was aware that his friends weren't quite as thrilled so they agreed on just one night. If they could tolerate a second, then they could do that. 

He climbed into bed feeling particularly thirsty and drained most of the flask before setting it aside.   
He slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed some minor inconsistencies in the story. Hopefully, they are deliberate and I'm not just a terrible writer. ;)


	7. Under the Stars

Spock woke late the next morning. 

He didn't want to get up and laid in bed longer than he should have. He was on vacation, he told himself. He reached for the flask beside the bed and drank. The flask was heavy as full as it was, and he drained the whole lot and wished he had more.   
But getting up right now was more effort than it was worth so he stayed where he was a little longer. 

He eventually got out and went into his private bathroom. He took care of all the usual morning routines. He had dull stomach pains and he brushed his hand across the painful area only to find the skin in the same area overtly sensitive and painful to the touch, almost like a pinprick. The sensation covered a large area across his abdomen but there seemed to be nothing wrong, at least outwardly. The stomach pain was tolerable and the skin only hurt if he touched it, so he decided to leave it for the time being and monitor it. If it got worse, he could speak to McCoy. He hoped to avoid that though, seeing how close it was to his scar. 

When he eventually dressed and headed downstairs, McCoy and Jim were already up and about. Jim smiled brightly. “Morning. You're up late?” 

“Were you meditating early?” McCoy asked 

“Yes,” Spock replied automatically. It sounded better than laying in bed for no good reason. 

To Jim, McCoy softly said, “See, I told you I heard him creeping around.” 

Spock made tea for himself and sat at the table. It was a peaceful morning and Spock enjoyed his tea. He felt much better once he drank it, the stomach ache slowly melting away. 

“Oh, we're probably thinking of taking the camping trip tomorrow,” Jim said casually. 

“Why the change of plan?” Spock inquired. 

“There's some bad weather due. We don't want to camp out in the rain,” Jim said. 

“I especially don't want to camp out in the rain,” McCoy added. 

Spock understood that. He too would rather not get wet for no good reason. 

Jim continued. “Well we're only going to have one night out now for certain so we'll leave early in the morning. Make sure you pack whatever you need tonight.”

“I thought you said you weren't the Captain on this trip,” Bones said. 

“I'm not. I'm just your natural leader,” Jim retorted with a grin. 

Spock listened to the pair bicker in a jovial mood as his own mind was contently quiet.   
He enjoyed his tea and his friends and felt comfortably numb. 

~

The three of them had gone out. Bones & Kirk decided to have another swim and Spock went with them, but only to study some plants as he had done their first time there. He'd told them he would make his own way back rather than waiting for them. 

He arrived back before the others. While he had the place to himself, he decided he would pack for tomorrow's overnight camping trip. He headed to his room and packed the few things he felt he would need for the trip and overnight. He didn't want to be too laden down with items as he wanted to travel as light as possible.   
He bought his bag downstairs and left it by the door. Jim had bought some large water containers for them all in the event that they did go camping. Spock grabbed one and filled it up and placed it beside his bag. With the tasks done, he decided to read for a while and went and grabbed his book from upstairs. His flask was beside the bed still and he grabbed it, finding it full and took both downstairs with him. 

It was very pleasing to sit in the cabin, enjoying the view, the book, and peace and quiet. He got absorbed in his book and lost track of time. The noise of Jim and McCoy's return startled him slightly.   
The pair had returned in good spirits if not slightly exhausted from their exercise. They all prepared meals for themselves before they went out to their nightly campfire. 

They outlined their plan for the following day, where Jim was hoping to go and the terrain they would come across. Once the details were finalized, Spock excused himself for the night. He wanted to meditate and not have such a late start in the morning. He filled the water bottle before he headed up, finding he was more exhausted than he thought he would be. 

An early night wouldn't be a bad idea at all, he decided. In fact, it might be just what he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to R&R. ;) 
> 
> Yep, they're about to go camping and yep, things are going to start to happen.


	8. Into the Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much trouble getting into the writing mood. The next chapter is where we should start to find things out. ;)

Everything that morning had gone well. 

Spock had got up early and had coffee waiting for Jim and McCoy before they headed out.   
They hiked out to the area Jim had wanted to get too. Once there, it was easy to see why this had been his ideal destination. The views were stunning and a short walk from where they would camp, there was another one of the planets natural pools for swimming. 

The hike had been time-consuming at almost 4 hours but none of them had been carrying too much weight to make it unbearable. Bones had complained the most, but once he got there, he did admit it had been worth the trouble. With the tents set up, Jim wanted to go to the pool again, mostly to freshen himself up but he didn't want to leave Spock behind.   
Promising that he would join them after boiling some water and making a hot drink, Jim and Bones left Spock and headed the short walk to the pool. 

Once the pair were out of sight, Spock sighed a little relief. The stomach pain had returned that morning and again, had subsided with tea but it soon returned halfway through the hike. Spock had continued as best he could, hoping the pair wouldn't notice but it seemed the hike was tiring for them as well and they didn't pick up on any signs that Spock was struggling himself.   
The tea relieved the pain in his stomach but he decided he needed to speak to McCoy privately about the matter. He'd wait until they returned to the cabin as he felt it might create a sense of panic if McCoy thought Spock was stranded out here in pain. No matter what, he would be able to get back to the cabin, but McCoy would not think like that, and Jim would want to cut short the trip. He would endure the pain a little longer. And like last time, the tea eased the pain. 

He headed to the pool to join the others. 

~

They kept the evening campfire tradition going that night. Spock hadn't thought to bring something to eat at the campfire and had been quite insistent that he not share any of there own treats.   
Jim had considered having a barbeque while out camping but seeing as Spock didn't eat meat, he felt it was a bit cruel to take out the meat and cook it in front of him. While Spock never objected to those around him eating what they wanted, it was different when you force someone to watch, and smell, the meat cooking. 

Spock headed to bed before the others, hoping to meditate a little before sleeping. He's retreated with another tea, hoping that drinking it before bed would keep the pain away during the night. He had the large container of water in the corner of the tent and he knew his flask was empty, so he filled it up.   
'If you drink more, you will have less to carry with you tomorrow,' his mind reasoned. The idea of carrying the heavy water bottle around tomorrow did not appeal to him. He knew Jim wanted to go on further and they still had to hike back. He estimated about 6 hours of walking tomorrow. He filled the flask up and drained the whole thing, before refilling it. He didn't think he could drink any more straight away so he decided he would meditate and maybe drink some more before he went to sleep. 

~

He woke up, but not because he wanted too. 

The pain in his stomach was back, dull, and insistent, with sharp stabbing pains occasionally. Mindlessly, he reached for the flask of water, only to find it empty. His mouth felt so dry and he crawled to the end of the tent and grabbed the large container of water. He drank from it, spilling some in his desperation to quench his thirst. Several large mouthfuls didn't seem to help and he thought of the only thing that had soothed his pain the last few days- the tea. He opened the tent. He didn't know what the time was but it was early in the morning, the sun wasn't rising yet.   
He poured himself some hot water from the hot water flask into a cup and added the tea. Just the smell of it was soothing and he drank it quickly. He felt a sense of relief as soon as he finished it. He put the cup and flask away and headed back into his tent. 

~

The next time Spock woke he felt more groggy than he had in the night. He lay there pushing the feeling away until he felt he could face the day. 

He filled his flash up and had a drink before he headed out, surprised to find Jim and McCoy already up and ready. Their tents had been packed away and they were looking at the map over coffee. 

“Hey,” Jim said. 

“Good morning,” Spock greeted. 

“Thought you weren't gonna get up today,” McCoy said. He gave a slight smile as though he were joking but Spock didn't miss that medical scrutiny that was in his gaze. 

Spock relaxed and focused on giving McCoy nothing to worry about. “I apologize. I had a night of somewhat disturbed sleep.”

“Sleeping outside can be a little weird,” Jim said. 

Spock went along with that explanation. “I shall pack my things away,” he said, not wanting to keep them waiting any longer. 

“Don't rush,” Jim said. 

It didn't take long for Spock to pack his things away and they were about to set off when, without warning, Spock fell to the ground unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm about to start decorating and updates might not come as often.


	9. Returning

Spock had barely hit the ground before he had come too. 

But it was too late to pretend everything was okay. Kirk and McCoy ignored his attempts to tell them he was okay as McCoy muttered “I knew something wasn't right,” as he rummaged through his bag to find his tricorder. 

“Please, let me up,” Spock insisted pushing against them with a little more force than he would usually use against his friends. It took more from him that he would admit, but he felt better than being laid out on the ground.   
He caught Jim's worried gaze and he did his best to be reassuring and comforting. “I am fine,” he insisted. 

“Passing out, even briefly, isn't fine,” McCoy interjected. “Dammit, what's wrong with this thing?” McCoy cursed at the medical tricorder. 

Jim took it from Bones to try and cajole the machine into action before finally letting Spock take a look. He surmised the machine was not working and was not fixable in their current location. 

“Okay, we head straight back to the cabin. I don't want to risk being out here any more,” Kirk decided. Turning to Spock he added. “How about you? Can you make it?”

“I feel fine, Captain. I do not know why that happened,” Spock said, hoping to ease the concerns of his friends. 

“That's what worried me,” McCoy said. “You pass out like that you could do it again at any time. You stay in the middle on the way back.” 

Spock wanted to argue but didn't. Now wasn't the time to bring up the intermittent stomach pains. He would tell McCoy when they were back at the cabin. There was nothing that could be done about it here and now and it would cause the others more stress to know about it. 

“We'll take breaks every half an hour, even if it's just for a couple of minutes.” Jim paused and thought about his next words carefully before he spoke them. When he did, he directed them to Spock only. “I know you don't like to think of yourself as a burden. Who does? But no one's in danger. We don't need to rush back but we do need to get back. Maybe this is some passing thing and you'll be fine when we get back to the cabin. But if you get worse while we're heading back and you think to yourself 'I won't tell them, they'll just worry, I'll be fine,' you're not only risking yourself, you are risking us as well. I'm not sure how well I'd do carrying you back all that way if you were to get worse and couldn't travel yourself. So do me a favour and please tell us if you feel worse, okay?” 

Bones liked Jim's tactic. Although Jim's concern was for Spock, he made the consequences be about the two of them rather than Spock. He knew that Spock would be more concerned about them than himself and the idea that his recklessness could put them in danger would smarten him up than any lecture McCoy could give him. 

“Yes, of course,” Spock said. He seemed to hesitate for a moment or two before he continued. “On the basis of that Captain, I feel I need to address something with you both.” 

~

Jim said they were almost back to the cabin, and the walk back had been pretty quiet. 

They had all been focusing their energy on the walk and in his and Jim's case, they were saving as much energy in case Spock took a turn for the worse. 

True to his word, Spock did speak out when at one point when they stopped he requested a little longer to rest. He also had to ask for some of their water as all of his was gone. McCoy had taken every effort to keep his mouth shut and say nothing. Nothing good would come out of losing his temper now. People could act slightly irrationally when they were ill. Spock had confessed to stomach pains and perhaps some clouded judgment recently.   
McCoy had nodded understanding but his anger turned inwards. 

He was angry at Spock for being so careless with his health- to not speak out as soon as something was wrong. Part of him rationed that he did only have slight stomach pains and it wasn't exactly a medical emergency, but another part of him knew that Spock as a Vulcan had an understanding of his physical condition that was completely unique to a human. With the right dedication, they could heal themselves from serious injuries. It took time and a deep healing trance that in itself could be dangerous.   
But he was angrier with himself.   
He hadn't noticed anything because he'd been caught up in his own issues and he'd been awful to Spock. Maybe Spock would have come to him, even with a minor issue, if he hadn't been a complete dick to him. The two people Spock had to turn too on the whole planet, and one of them decided to make him feel like he didn't have a friend in the whole damn world.   
Dammit.   
He hated himself sometimes. 

Spock stopped walking in front of him. 

“Are you okay?” McCoy asked, who was behind him. Jim, just ahead stopped and turned back. 

The cabin was within sight now and Spock looked ahead towards it. “Yes, I-” He paused. “I apologise for what happened today.” He turned to Jim. “It was not the camping trip that you desired.” 

Jim smiled, but it was a gesture for show, that was all. “That's okay. Let's get inside, huh?” 

Spock nodded and they made the short trip back inside. 

~

McCoy had done an exam on Spock when they had returned. He'd had to rely on a physical examination, which wasn't ideal, but with the medical tricorder not working, he had little choice. 

He kept it as brief as he could and in the end, he found nothing out. Spock's stomach pain was present still but wasn't affected by McCoy's probing. He did have other sensitive areas of skin around his abdomen, but he found no physical evidence of anything wrong there either.   
He asked Spock to assess his condition for himself and Spock said he wasn't able too. He wasn't confident in his own abilities at that moment. But he did state that he did not feel that any of the effects he was suffering were threatening his life, merely a disruption to what he admitted was a rather delicate system.   
Vulcan's had a rather limited diet. Maybe the water and the food and drink, albeit small amounts, that Spock had consumed had upset him. Stranger things had happened and he really had nothing else to go by. 

“Get some rest, I'm going to go and talk to Jim,” McCoy had said. 

~

Spock hadn't registered choosing to sleep, but nevertheless, he found himself awakening from sleep. 

Something didn't feel quite right. Something had woke him up.   
He expected to feel stomach pains but the pain had subsided for now. Had McCoy given him something for it? He couldn't recall correctly. But he realised that was what had woke him, the gentle hiss and sting from a hypo. 

“Doctor?” Spock said, turning his head to the side he'd felt the hypo. 

A hand clamped down over his mouth suddenly and fiercely, making it hard to even breathe. He tried to move but he couldn't move a muscle. Another face, close to his, hot breath against his skin for a moment before they moved back and his eyes were able to adjust, to make them out. Their dark eyes met and Spock felt a cold dread wash over him. 

“Hello, Spock.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hell yeah, I ended it there! ;)


	10. The Staircase

McCoy walked back downstairs. 

“He's out like a light,” he said after having checked on Spock. He had gone to see if he wanted anything to eat but had decided rest was best for him. 

Jim let out a frustrated groan. “My PADD's not working. And neither's yours. I've used the control panel by the door to contact someone. Arranged a pick-up tomorrow morning,” Jim said. 

McCoy nodded his agreement. “One last drink by the fire?” McCoy asked. 

Jim smiled. “Sure.” 

They headed out to the campfire and shared a beer. 

“I was thinking, maybe we could find somewhere with a warmer climate next time,” McCoy said. “Spock would like it more that way.”

“Yeah, it's got to be dry as a desert though for him to actually like it,” Jim agreed. 

“Well, we don't have to do a lot. Or maybe have a little shuttle so we can travel a bit further around,” McCoy suggested. 

“Yeah, that'd work,” Kirk agreed. “I-” A sudden smash from inside stopped Jim from saying anything else. “What the hell's he doing?” 

“I'll go check. I need to pee anyway,” McCoy said. 

He headed inside. “Hey Spock, are you okay?” he called out as he moved over to the stairs. He got no reply, so headed up to see what exactly was going on. 

~

Jim got lost in thought as he considered his next step after their current break from space. 

Spock had confided in him some time ago that he would likely not be participating in a new 5-year mission, should Starfleet suggest that for the Enterprise crew after their hiatus as he and Uhura planned marriage and a family in their immediate future. He said he would consider missions closer to Earth and New Vulcan, but neither he or Uhura wanted to be out in deep space on a starship while she was carrying a child. 

And that was more than fair. Jim's own experiences told him it was a terrible idea. But he was happy for them both. They deserved to spend some time together. He just had to decide whether he wanted to continue into deep space with new crew members if that was his option.  
On one hand, he felt that his career needed to continue despite whatever Spock did. He liked to Captain a ship with this crew, they were the best, he was close to them, but did that mean all other crews were not as good? Maybe he was being selfish only working with the current crew. Shouldn't he help new people develop? And it wasn't as though his relationship with Spock & Uhura would end. Okay, it wouldn't be the same, but he could still see them. He wasn't sure what to do for the best. He wanted to discuss it with McCoy but he had enough on his mind. Jim's career choices seemed insignificant in comparison. 

A large thump caught Jim's attention and he turned back towards the cabin. He didn't see anything but that was a significant enough noise that he should probably help McCoy. He started over towards the door when Bones' body hit the ground at the bottom of the stairs. 

He stopped in his tracks for a moment. Did Bones just fall? Did Spock attack him? Throw him down the stairs? No, of course, he didn't. It must have been an accident. His mind was racing, adrenaline raging through him and he ran for the door. He grabbed the handle, not realising it had been shut until then and turned but it wouldn't open. He was shut outside. 

This was the only way into the building. He banged on the glass door, yelling for McCoy to hear him, to get up and let him in, but he could see the blood seeping from his head. Was he dead? 

McCoy wasn't going to get up, so he turned his attention to the only other person he could. Spock. He screamed for his other friend as loud as he could. His voice was raw after just a few times calling for him, he was so frantic and loud. He had to make Spock hear him.  
And then he spotted it, a shadow across the stairs as someone came down. Spock had heard him, thank God.  
He was moving slowly, but that didn't surprise Jim, considering Spock had been unwell beforehand. He was probably shocked by McCoy's body at the foot of the stairs. Jim banged on the glass again, louder this time. He had to draw Spock's attention to him for the moment. He didn't think Spock was well enough to adequately help McCoy. 

Spock reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped into view and that was when everything got a lot worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yes, I'm this much of a fucking tease. :)


	11. From the Shadows

“It can't be you,” Jim muttered more to himself than anyone else. 

“But it is,” he said, stepping over McCoy's prone form at the bottom of the stairs. 

“I saw you die,” Kirk said. 

“Did you really, though? Or did you just hope?” Nero smirked. He put his hand against the glass where Kirk's on hand pressed against it, and Jim moved his hand away sharply. “You see, my life's mission was to make Spock suffer. The destruction of his planet was years of waiting for me. Despite what might have been said, he did not die naturally. I have been ensuring that he suffered a slow death for years. And now that I finished him off, my attention comes to your Spock.” 

“You wanted revenge for the destruction of your planet, isn't destroying Vulcan enough for you?”   
“No! Clearly it's not, James Kirk.” Nero looked behind him as McCoy stirred slightly. “So, here's what's going to happen. You leave and stay here with your two friends. And if you don't leave, I'll kill them.” 

“You're going to kill them anyway,” Jim spat out. 

“Probably, yeah. But, I don't plan to make it quick. I'm giving you the gift of hope, James. Something I was given by Spock before he crushed it in his decrepit hands. But you still have the gift, to use any way you see fit. Maybe, launch a rescue mission.”

“I'm not going anywhere,” Jim insisted. 

“That's up to you. You can pull up a chair and watch if that's what you want.” 

Nero turned from Jim and the first thing he did was push the table away from the window and threw the chairs across the room. Some partially broke on impact making a messy pile of chairs in the corner. He kept one back. 

Jim could see McCoy clearly now. He was breathing heavily but he was still alive. Nero grabbed McCoy by the arms and moved him across the room sitting him up against the far wall. Then Nero vanished up the stairs. Jim pounded on the windows calling Bones over and over again but he didn't even stir.   
Nero returned, literally dragging Spock by one ankle behind him. He took no care with either man and when he got into the room, he hoisted Spock up onto the two-seater couch. Spock's body slouched, head tilted to one side. Nero grabbed his head roughly and tipped it back before opening Spock's mouth as wide as he could. 

He came back over to Jim. “Are you sure you want to stay for this? It's going to get messy.” 

Jim couldn't stand the thought of leaving his friends, but what would he achieve by staying? He needed to get them some help before they were dead but it felt like abandoning them when they needed him the most. “I swear to God, I will get back and make you pay for this,” Kirk warned. 

“Bye, James.” Nero said, turning away from the window. 

He went into the kitchen and looked through the cupboards. He grabbed a bottle of oil. “Perfect,” he said and returned to Spock. “This should fill you up nicely.” Unscrewing the cap on the bottle, he began to pour the contents of the bottle into Spock's mouth. 

~

McCoy's head throbbed as he started to come round. 

What the fuck had happened? Something about Spock and then.... did he fall? He reached for his head but his hands caught and he forced his eyes open. He was tied up. Why the fuck was he tied up?

He was about to start struggling when a sound came through to him. A whining noise. He looked beyond his own situation and saw Spock. He was sat in one of the hardback chairs, tied across his chest and ankles. He was shirtless and as McCoy looked over at him with bleary eyes he couldn't work out for a moment what was wrong with the image. He knew the obvious things wrong with it but there was something more than the obvious. 

Then he realized there was another person sat opposite Spock. He'd been so still and silent McCoy had overlooked him. He had what looked like a broken chair leg in his hand and he pushed is into Spock's stomach holding it until he heard that whining cry again, clearly coming from Spock. And that was when he realized what was wrong. Spock's stomach was badly bloated. Had that been the result of the pain he'd been in? There hadn't been anything physically wrong with him earlier although he had no idea how long ago what was now. 

“Spock?” McCoy called out. 

Alerting whoever was tormenting Spock might not have been the smartest idea, but it drew the attention away from him and gave him the relief of the chair leg being dropped. 

“Oh, you're awake,” the man said, turning to face McCoy. 

McCoy stared at him, mouth agape. It couldn't possibly be him, could it? Nero? 

“We have got some talking to do so, I'm gonna take this one back upstairs and then I'll be back for you,” Nero said, smiling briefly. He grabbed the back of the chair and pulled it along, dragging it and Spock upstairs and out of McCoy's sight. 

~

Spock could barely keep his eyes open as Nero untied his from the ropes that bound him to the chair. 

“Cooperate, dammit,” Nero said, frustrated with Spock's inability to stay upright. He bit his arm in frustration as he flailed around and when it still didn't help Spock stay where he wanted him, he kicked him so he fell to the floor. 

Spock's eyes blurred a little as Nero walked away. He had some sort of drug in his system and he could barely think but he was aware of how badly he hurt. He looked down at his stomach and felt a tinge of panic at how swollen it was. What had been done to him. His stomach was deeply unsettled as well, now he thought about it. But thinking too much was hard and his mind settled back into a happy quiet place. He was vaguely aware of water running and then Nero was back, grabbing and dragging him into the bathroom where the running water got louder. The shower was running and Nero draped Spock over the toilet, before he pushed a boot into his back, putting pressure on his stomach again. Spock stayed quiet until he had to let out a pained groan. 

He heard Nero chuckle before he undressed Spock, jabbed a hypo into his neck, and then tossed him under the dual spray of the deluxe shower. He turned the sprays up too full so they pelted down onto Spock and then turned the temperature down so only the cold sprayed out. 

“You're not coming out of there until your clean. And *empty*. Enjoy your stay.”

Nero switched the light off leaving Spock under the freezing spray in total darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this pretty much the tone of the fic now.   
> Spock and McCoy at the mercy of Nero and Jim somewhere else. 
> 
> Just for clarity, Nero forced a load of cooking oil down Spock's throat while he was unconscious. Obviously, not in a way that would cause him to choke to death. I don't know how much you'd have to consume to become bloated and honestly, I didn't want to Google it, so we have 'some amount'. 
> 
> I tagged this as graphic descriptions of violence, but I likely won't be disgusting in the description of anything but there's going to be torture.   
> There won't be any non/con in this story, however. There may be brief references to nudity but not in a sexual way. 
> 
> Oh yeah, and finally, I know it's unlikely that Nero would have been able to survive but he did somehow. Let's just say, he beamed out somehow. They did have advanced technology on the ship so why not!


	12. Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted two chapters yesterday, so make sure you read both of them before you move on.   
> Also, please remember to review if you're reading and enjoying this. It's been really quiet on here and I know there's some awful RL shit going on right now but if you get some small enjoyment and escapism from fanfiction, do let the author know.

“Where's Spock?” McCoy asked when Nero came back alone. 

“Oh, he's fine. How about you, Doctor? How are you feeling?”

McCoy was worried about Spock, but he had to be worried about himself as well. Nero clearly wasn't stable and was out for blood. McCoy could see his own smeared across the floor. 

“Where's Jim?” McCoy asked. He tried to keep his voice from sounding demanding in case it angered the Romulan. 

“Around here somewhere,” he answered vaguely. 

“What do you want with us?” 

“You? Nothing. Spock, well that's a private and life long commitment between us with him paying for what he did to me,” 

“Look, I can get why you were pissed with older Spock but this one hasn't done anything to you. Romulus is still out there, safe and sound.” 

“Until Spock breaks his promise in the future and it dies.”

McCoy considered for a moment. “Don't you think you're giving this one more reason to let it die?”

“Well sure, if he lived that long. He won't. Or if he does, he'll be in a cage somewhere on a ship with me. He's never getting free from me. He'll never let my people die off as his own did.”

The words were spoken with such disgust that McCoy dropped it. “So, are you letting me go? If you don't need me for anything?”

“Oh no. You're the insurance. He's never going to fight back if he thinks you might get hurt. And he won't try and escape if you're here because he won't leave you behind. Not if he liked you enough to be here with you.”

“Isn't one of us enough for insurance?” McCoy asked. 

“I don't think the other one would help much.”

That worried McCoy. “I could help, if he's hurt.” 

“There's nothing you can do,” Nero said. “But, you can eat.” With that, he went into the kitchen and start to look for food. 

~

Spock's tired body shook with the cold of the heavy sprays of water pounding onto his flesh. 

He could move slightly when his skin protested that enough was enough but the spray and the coverage of it were vast. He was so exhausted all he wanted was to sleep but the cold wouldn't allow him to slip away. He voided his bladder and bowels some time ago and he'd moved around to make sure it all got washed away. 

He was worried if Nero came back and found him unclean he'd leave him there for longer. He didn't think he could take much more but he was too weak to move. Nero was ensuring Spock's mind was hazy and unclear consistently to ensure he didn't get enough wits about him to mount any sort of come back. It was effective. Spock could barely think straight. 

It seemed forever before he heard the sound of footsteps approach. Nero was looking down at him. 

“Well, I suppose you look clean,” he said. He grabbed Spock by the hair and yanked him up and out of the shower. He leads him down the stairs and over towards the floor where McCoy still sat, propped against the wall. He released his grip on Spock and he dropped down beside his friend. 

“I am going to keep your other friend company,” Nero smirked. “You-” he pointed to McCoy “can dry and dress him. It's upstairs in his room, you'll have to get it yourself. And I will be watching you on the monitor. I won't be long,” he said. He released McCoy's bonds and headed upstairs himself. 

McCoy didn't move until Nero was out of sight and then he instantly turned his attention to Spock. “Dammit, your freezing,” McCoy muttered, as he briefly touched Spock's shoulder. He hadn't stopped shivering the whole time he'd been in the room and now McCoy knew why. He sat up quickly but realized what a mistake that was when his head spun and the room tilted and turned. “Oh shit,” McCoy muttered as he closed his eyes against the sensation. He opened his eyes and noted Spock was looking at him. He could get his shit together for Spock's sake. “Okay, I'm going to get upstairs and get some stuff and I'll be right back, okay?” 

“Don't-” Spock muttered, hard to understand through shuddering breaths. “Don't leave.” 

“I'll be really quick,” McCoy said. He grabbed a throw off the back of the couch and threw it over Spock. Spock couldn't even grab at the fabric, his fingers were so numb. When he looked again, McCoy had gone. He was hurt. He remembered that. He wished McCoy didn't have to do anything to help him. 

He didn't know he'd slipped into unconsciousness until McCoy rubbing him with the towel roused him from sleep. “Just rest, I gotcha,” McCoy reassured him. He didn't want too. He wanted to be a better friend and ask McCoy about his injury and if he could help him, but he couldn't do it. 

The want for sleep was so strong that he nearly allowed himself to succumb before he pushed it away and spoke. “He- He wants something.”

“Yeah, he wants to punish you forever,” McCoy said. “I think he's got Jim upstairs somewhere.”

“Something else,” Spock muttered. 

“Like what?” McCoy asked. He used the towel rubbing to try and warm Spock up as much as he could. 

Spock didn't say anything else. He was slipping into unconsciousness again. 

McCoy looked at his friend with concern. Whatever drug Nero was using on Spock was too effective. Spock could barely sit up. He was unlikely to escape any time soon. But he had said that he kept McCoy and Jim here for a reason, to stop Spock escaping. Maybe he only had a limited quantity of the drug. If he could keep Spock this helpless it seemed pointless having hostages. But maybe that was just more for fun. They were here, why not use them? 

He finished drying Spock the best he could before he started to dress him. He had picked what looked to be the warmest clothing Spock had. They looked like smart trousers but were incredibly warm inside. He paired it with a long-sleeved top. He wrestled underwear and socks on first before dressing in the other items.   
McCoy hadn't noticed Nero's return, but he was at the bottom of the stairs watching them when he finished. He rested Spock's head back against the wall, surprised he'd stayed sleeping when he'd been jostled around so much. 

“Wake him,” Nero said, his face impassive. 

McCoy did his best but Spock wouldn't stir. 

“If he doesn't wake, use physical stimulus to rouse him,” Nero demanded. “Or I can do it for you.”

McCoy slapped Spock. It wasn't a hard slap for a Vulcan and it did nothing. 

Nero sighed loudly so he slapped Spock again, harder. “Do something to his hands.” He ordered. 

McCoy knew Vulcan's hands were sensitive and the cruelty hit him. Nero had enough of McCoy's delays and without warning came over to Spock, picked up his hand, and bit him. 

Spock woke with a start, confusion, and pain clear of his face. Nero was the first face that he saw, his cold, dark eyes bearing into Spock's. 

“I am going to sleep. There are monitors everywhere,” He turned to McCoy. “He does not get to sleep. If he sleeps I'll punish you both hideously. If you can keep him awake all night, I will not harm him tomorrow. I promise you that.” 

McCoy didn't think the word of this psycho carried much credibility but he had nothing else to go with. And the idea that Spock might not be harmed tomorrow was a huge incentive. “Okay,” McCoy agreed. 

Nero's lip twitched in an almost smile. “Good,” he said. He removed a hypospray and injected it into Spock's neck. He administered a different one into McCoy. “Yours will help you stay awake,” he told him. 

“What did you give Spock?” 

Nero's smile said it all. It clearly wasn't going to help Spock stay awake. 

McCoy felt the adrenaline pumping through him. “Okay. Can we use the bathroom if needed?” 

“You can do whatever you please. All I want him to do is stay awake. No food, no water, nothing. He can move around down here but that's it.”

McCoy nodded his understanding. How hard could this be?   
He scoffed. That didn't matter, the real question was, what choice did he have?


	13. Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been a bit iffy about this story for a while because it hasn't really been well received. So I was going to write more but I don't know.   
> I'm updating all I've written and I'll see if I continue this or not.

Jim's feet pounded against the ground as he ran. 

He went between jogging and sprinting as his body allowed. Darkness was making the path hard to make out but he didn't want to stop but he'd have too soon. 

It had been lucky that some of their kits had remained outside after the returned from hiking. Jim and grabbed a bag and gone as far as he could. He knew there were others on this planet but there were miles between them. The idea was of utmost tranquillity and that meant space. Lots of space. 

It made sense why none of their communicators and PADDS worked now. Nero must have trashed them somehow. He didn't know how, but he must have been the one affecting Spock as well. He hated leaving his friends behind but this might be their best chance. 

Jim slowed down. It was almost too dark to see clearly. He needed to make camp for now and carry on at first light. He hated it, but he knew he had to do it.   
God, he hoped he made it back to them in time. 

~

McCoy had used the bathroom and upon his return, his hunger let itself be known to him. He headed into the kitchen and boiled the kettle while also putting some food in a pan to cook. 

“Okay Spock, I gotta eat. So, you need to keep talking to me, okay?” 

Spock was still resting up against the wall where he'd been dumped beside McCoy. He looked restless but in an exhausted way. He was trying to move to keep himself awake but he was achingly tired. “Help me up?” he asked. 

McCoy left the kitchen and pulled Spock to his feet. “Where do you want to go?”

“With you,” Spock replied. He was unsteady on his feet and McCoy pulled out one of the stools and Spock sat on it, leaning heavily on the counter in front of him. 

“I'm sorry,” McCoy apologised as he prepared something for himself to eat. “You're not hungry, are you?” 

“I don't know,” Spock answered honestly. He hadn't been thinking about food, just sleep. Sleep would feel so good right now. “I can't-” Spock muttered and lay his head down on the countertop. 

“No, no,” McCoy said, coming round next to his friend. “You have to stay up,” He physically pulled Spock into an upright position as if they would take away his tiredness. “What can I do to help you?”

Spock looked around himself. He knew McCoy would be punished if he slept. “I have a book in my room, would you get it?” 

“Sure,” McCoy said, happy to help Spock anyway he could. Once McCoy was up the stairs Spock got up and went over to the hot kettle. He pulled up one long sleeve stood over the sink and poured the contents of the boiling water over his arm. 

~

“Spock, I couldn't find any book-” McCoy started on his way downstairs and stopped when he saw Spock hunched over the sink. 

He rushed over, thinking Spock was being sick before he caught sight of the scalding on Spock's arm. The kettle was on the floor and McCoy grabbed Spock's hand, where he had managed to avoid burning, and held onto it while he ran the tap. He quickly established a cool temperature that would suit humans and then increased the heat a little. He assumed this would be correct for a burn for Spock and then held Spock's burnt arm underneath the running water. 

Spock whimpered slightly as the water touched the burnt flesh but tried his best not to flinch away. 

“What the hell are you doing?” McCoy asked, his voice concerned despite the words he chooses. 

“I did not want you to be punished. And I could not stay awake,” Spock admitted. 

McCoy wasn't a violent man, but he wanted to kill Nero right now. He made Spock stand under the running water close to half an hour before turning the tap off. “Sit down,” McCoy directed and Spock returned to the stool. McCoy grabbed a towel and wet it before wrapping Spock's burn in the wet towel. “Just sit there and don't do anything,” he said. He picked up the kettle from the floor and refilled it, boiling the water again and making himself a coffee. His food had burnt a bit, but he ate what he could and threw away the rest. 

Spock did as he was told and stayed sitting silently while McCoy ate. McCoy cleaned everything away before he motioned for Spock to move over and sit on one of the comfortable chairs in the room. McCoy picked the two-seater and Spock sat on the single armchair. “How's the arm?” 

“Helping,” Spock replied. 

“You mean the pain from the burn has given you a nice boost,” McCoy guessed. 

Spock nodded. He wasn't happy about it but he had to do something. This way, he had been in control, not Nero. “Talk to me,” Spock asked. 

“About what?” 

“Anything. Tell me your story.” 

“My story?” McCoy chuckled. 

“I promise nothing you say will ever get spoken of again if you divulge.” 

“What the hell. I guess I'll start at the beginning.”

~

Nero stepped into the room quietly. 

The Vulcan was sat with his back to him and he wanted to see if he was sleeping, like the other man was, his light snoring making it obvious enough. 

Spock's head turned when Nero was level with him. “I did not sleep.”

Nero looked at the other man, then back to Spock. “I believe you. He will remain unharmed.”


	14. Jim

McCoy was startled awake by screaming. 

He opened his eyes to find Spock's hands on the meld points of Nero's face, but Nero's hands were over them. They were both screaming, faces contorted in agony but McCoy had no idea who was doing what. He grabbed Nero and pulled him off of Spock and they both crumpled to the ground. 

McCoy couldn't see any physical injuries on the Vulcan and pulled him up and over to the chair. He looked over at Nero. He was down for the minute and McCoy focused on Spock.   
His eyes were still closed tightly, brow creased. 

“He's gone,” McCoy said gently, he kept in contact with Spock, his hand on Spock's upper arm so he knew he wasn't alone. He repeated it several times until Spock heard him, his face relaxing slightly and his eyes opening. “Okay?” McCoy asked. 

Spock nodded although McCoy didn't think it really meant that Spock was okay right now. He let Spock gather himself a little more but he needed to know what was happening before Nero got himself back together. “What was that?” 

“Romulans can not meld like Vulcans. He was trying to force memories upon me.” Spock sounded shakier than McCoy liked. “Romulans did not hone their abilities as Vulcans did, so although they have the capability, they are not good at it. Even a human can recklessly project thoughts and emotions during a forced meld.” 

“It sounded intense,” McCoy admitted. 

“I was shielding from him as best I could. However, his tactics are clear. He knows my physical and mental weakness will affect my abilities to protect my mind. He will get what he wants eventually. It is merely a matter of time.” 

McCoy didn't like the sound of that. “Do you know why he's trying to attack your mind?”

“A violation of the mind is one of the worst things you can do to a Vulcan. I believe, from the little that seeped through he is trying to make me feel the pain the loss of his planet caused him and the subsequent suffering he went through. It's a very different thing to experience it in a meld than it is to verbally describe a loss. All of the emotions he felt would feel as though they were mine,” Spock dropped into a more whispered speaking voice. “I do not want that.” 

“Shit,” McCoy muttered. They had to get out of here, somehow.   
Nero wasn't going to kill Spock. He wasn't running out of time, he was intending to make Spock suffer over and over again. And for Spock to be forced to experience what Nero did would maybe be more than Spock could handle right now. Spock had already experienced that same devastating loss of his own home planet. He didn't need to feel Nero's loss as well. “I don't know how to get us out of this one, Spock. Planning escapes has never been my strong point.”

Spock's exhaustion was making a comeback.   
McCoy assumed that Nero had somehow been drugging Spock since they got here. He hadn't been as sharp as he usually was, McCoy thought, looking back. He was so distracted by his own issues he hadn't really noticed. He'd assumed Spock was just relaxing as much as Vulcan's did. But it would have been Nero, dulling Spock's sharp mind as soon as he could. McCoy knew that sleep was one thing, but for a Vulcan, meditation was much more important and he doubted Spock had any for a while now. He recalled the Vulcan describing the need for meditation as like tidying a cluttered desk. It had resonated with McCoy because as someone who worked from a desk and wasn't immune to letting the workload pile up on occasion, he knew how just looking at that desk made him feel.   
To recognize that Spock's mind was probably in that cluttered state right now and was only going to get worse made McCoy worry deeply about his friend.   
“Jim would think of a plan,” Spock muttered, tiredly. 

“Jim!” McCoy repeated. He looked over at Nero who was still unmoving on the floor. “Stay here,” he told Spock and quickly headed upstairs. 

He went into the two bedrooms and searched for Jim, before trying both bathrooms. There was no sign of him. And there were no signs of a significant injury, like blood loss either. He guessed Nero could have cleaned it up but seeing as McCoy's own pool of blood that stained the bottom of the stairs was still there, he didn't think Nero was the cleaning up type. 

McCoy had no more time to look as he heard a roar of anger from downstairs. He headed back to find Nero waiting for him. Spock was where he'd left him and he didn't think Nero had touched him, thankfully. 

“What were you doing?” Nero asked. 

“I was looking for Jim. I wanted to know if he was alright.” 

Nero did not look happy. “I take the Vulcan's word for it that he did not sleep last night and I am a man of my word, you will not be punished. But your disobedience will have to be.” He pointedly looked to Spock so they both knew who would be receiving it. 

Spock's expression gave nothing away. 

“I will have to think of the right punishment. But for now, you,” he points to McCoy “can cook some food. Something nice and dead and bloody. And make sure you do plenty for Spock. Poor thing didn't get a bite of food yesterday.” 

McCoy obeyed reluctantly. As much as he didn't like to prepare food that Spock wouldn't wilfully eat, he was at least getting some food. That had to be something. As McCoy selected some various meats, Nero came over and looked. “He needs more than that,” he insisted. “And remember, I want it bloody.” 

~

McCoy was sent away after he had cooked the food, although cooked was a loose term. 

Most of it was rare at best and it was merely a new tool in Nero's torture of Spock. 

Although McCoy was out of sight, he knew what was happening downstairs. Nero was force-feeding Spock dead animals that were barely cooked. It was raw, bloody flesh at best and he knew that modern Vulcans did not approve of eating flesh.   
McCoy had no doubts that Nero was insane. But he also lost sight of things. 

His attention fully fixed on Spock, he'd given McCoy another chance to explore the upper area. If Jim was up here, he had to find him. He needed to know what his best options were.   
If he was able to escape, but both Jim and Spock were too badly injured to travel, then he'd have to seek help. But if Jim was in good health it would make all the difference.   
But McCoy was doubting that Jim was alive if he were up here. Nero spent very little time away from them. And if he did have Kirk, why keep him isolated? 

He stumbled upon the concealed entrance by mistake and followed it to another area over-looking the bedrooms with spy holes. This whole place was designed to be used to spy on someone? It was basically sound-proof and allowed others to live above the main residence and watch their every move. Besides the spy holes, there were monitors for downstairs as well as the bedrooms and bathrooms. There was no privacy here at all and McCoy felt incredibly violated about the whole thing. 

But Jim wasn't here and he couldn't see him on any of the monitors either. So Jim had escaped or was dead outside. That was pretty much the only two options McCoy's brain could comprehend right then. His eye was drawn to the movement on the monitor as he saw Nero and Spock. Most of the food seemed to have gone by now. He couldn't imagine how disgusted Spock would feel with himself, despite having no choice in the matter.   
Spock was smart enough to know this was beyond his control but that didn't mean he could shut down his feelings of guilt. 

Despite finding out that Nero was indeed living here as well and finding out that Jim wasn't here, the discovery hadn't helped McCoy at all. Overpowering a Romulan wouldn't be easy at the best of times. If he did manage it, he needed to secure Nero well enough that he and Spock could escape. Although Spock was barely physically injured, he had unknown drugs in his system, he was sleep-deprived and he was barely thinking clearly. He would be an issue if they did escape but the other option, leaving Spock behind, wasn't something that McCoy could see himself doing. 

He had to hope that Jim had escaped and that he was bringing help. He just wishes he knew that for certain. He didn't want to be Spock's only hope for escape.


	15. Impossible

Jim had travelled for the whole day and still saw no sign of civilization. It didn't help that he had no idea if he was heading in the right direction or not. 

He sat on a rock and took a mouthful of water. He was running low and didn't want to think he might have to divert from his course to search for water. He had an energy bar in his bag and he ate one bite of it before saving the rest. He'd need to stop again for the night soon and he hated the idea. 

How long would it take him to find someone? What if someone rescued them but had no idea where he was? The forest was dense. Hugely so. He wouldn't be easy to find when no one had a clue what direction he'd gone in. 

He tried to tell himself he didn't believe in no-win scenarios and that just made him think about Spock, the lesson of mortality that Spock tried to impart on the cadets. At the time, Kirk had thought of it as a failure to be beaten and even cheating his way through it, he hadn't felt like he'd done anything wrong.  
The Kobayashi Maru was an important test. It wasn't until sometime later that Kirk realized that the legend with cadets was now about how Jim Kirk had defeated the test. It hadn't been about that and he regretted it had taken on that status to be about him.  
Perhaps he would take some time to teach cadets the value of the lesson. How it ultimately taught him that sometimes, sacrificing yourself and facing the inevitable was the only way to go, especially if it ensured your ship and your crew were safe. 

He stopped thinking about that. Right now he needed to focus on what needed to be done.  
This was his impossible test right now. Finding help and saving his friends.  
And he did not want to fail this test. 

~

Spock wasn't sure if Nero's feeding animal flesh had been the punishment for McCoy's wandering earlier on, but he wasn't going to ask either way. 

It mattered little. He would either deem this a punishment or, more likely, he'd consider it what it was- feeding. Keeping Spock alive. The truth was, although it went against Spock's wishes to eat meat, he was not as repulsed as Nero would imagine. He was around humans frequently and had got used to the smells of the food. He certainly wouldn't choose to eat as much as Nero had made him, even in foods he would pick for himself, but he was sure there were some strange ideas that Nero had as to why he did what he did. Spock was better off not knowing the man's madness. 

McCoy was beckoned back and Nero left them again. Spock was still sat at the table and McCoy came and helped him over the other chair, sitting him down and inspecting the burn on his arm. “It doesn't look too bad,” McCoy said.  
From Spock's own assessment it was a second-degree burn. Could have been better, could have been worse. 

Spock spoke to McCoy quietly. “He had not used any more of his drugs on me.” 

“That's good,” McCoy replied. And he realized that although Spock might be a little out of sorts still, he was a lot more together than he had been. “Do you think you could overpower him if there was a chance?” 

“Perhaps. His unpredictability is his biggest strength. I need more time to get my strength back. And if I do, I will need you to stay away. I can not risk him getting the upper hand by exploiting you,” 

“I know a place,” McCoy said but did not share more. “I'm sorry about the food.”

“Do not be. It is a good source of energy which I need. You should eat,” Spock reminded him. 

“Yeah, you're right. Are you allowed to sleep?” 

“He did not say otherwise,” Spock said. 

“Then you should do that.” 

Instead of resting, Spock got up and moved across the room over to McCoy. “Why is he doing this?”

“Doing what exactly?”

“Allowing me to regain my strength? To sleep? These are the things he has been denying me before we even knew he was here. He must know it is a risk.”

“I don't know. Let's just be on guard, okay?”

~

Nero watched the pair from the monitors and listened to their conversations. 

It was right that Spock would be dubious about Nero's actions and he was at least smart for that. Spock had been too easy to control, too pliant. It wasn't entertaining to have something so easily. 

As much fun as this was, Nero was considering the next stage already. The planet had limited options and although they were safer from anyone straying upon them there was the possibility that soon enough, Kirk would reach help. And he didn't want that to stop his plans. Spock being captive was the only future he had envisioned. And he also knew that once he had him on board and he could go anywhere, Kirk and Starfleet would never find them. There were infinite possibilities of where he could take Spock.  
Spock's future was bleak, existing as Nero wished him too. Caged like an animal for the relief of Nero only.  
His rage with Spock often clouded his judgment. Having him on hand whenever he needed to pound into his flesh with his fists would be soothing. He would be better for it. 

Taking out a concealed device from the observation room, he pressed the one button on the simple controller. It was only a matter of time before now.  
He returned the controller away and headed down. 

He still had a punishment to dish out. 

~

**The following scene involves a situation that has someone in a sexually vulnerable situation with clear threats. 

However, no sexual acts or molestation takes place in this scene but if you think this scene may upset you, please skip.**

There is one more scene at the end. 

I have marked the next scene clearly so you can easily skip. 

Nero directed Spock upstairs told him to strip off and stand in the shower room. 

“Face away from me and put your hands on the wall,” he directed.  
Spock did as he was told. 

“This is for your own good,” Nero said before using a spray across the back of Spock's body, legs and arms. It took a few moments before a gentle, tingle turned into a light burning sensation. It was unpleasant but manageable, although his scalded arm felt it the most. “Turn round,” Nero direct and Spock again complied. Nero repeated the process of covering Spock's entire body with the spray, only avoiding his face. “It takes a while to work so I shall leave it to do its job,” he said as he retreated into the bedroom and sat bored. 

Spock stood still, bearing the uncomfortable sensation but giving nothing away. His own nudity did not bother him and he knew that Romulans themselves were not ashamed of a nude body in the same way a human usually was. Spock momentarily recalled hazily McCoy having to deal with Spock's nudity the first time he'd been subjected to a shower at Nero's hands but he'd only ever felt a sense of protectiveness from McCoy, not embarrassment. It was likely very difficult for a medical man to embarrass easily. 

“Okay, that's enough of that,” Nero said. “Get on your hands and knees and I'll turn the water on.”

Spock did as he was told without flinching. The water was as harsh and cold as Spock remembered and it was painful in a way water shouldn't be. The water pounded against Spock's back. He kept his head down to keep the water from running into his eyes his hair soon soaked through. Nero turned the water off and directed Spock to stand back against the wall, facing him and then he pulled one of the showerhead off from its place on the wall before turning the spray on again. He kept the spray strong and cold and sprayed it into Spock's face. He closed his mouth and eyes but he did not turn away from the force of the spray. Nero held it there for a long time before traveling down across Spock's front washing away any remnants of the cleaning spray. Once he'd made his way down to Spock's feet, he turned the spray off. 

“Go and lay on your back on the bed.”

Nero dropped the showerhead onto the bottom off the shower. He'd likely not be using that again. He turned to find Spock had done as he'd asked.  
A smile crept on his face. 

“Why?” he asked. 

“Why what?” Spock queried. 

“I heard your conversation. You're waiting for your time to strike back against me. So why do all these degrading things rather than fight back?” He came and bent down close to Spock's head. 

“I would not defeat you. I am still too weak,” Spock answered honestly. 

“Yes you are,” Nero agreed. “And-” he smoothly pulled out a hypo and stuck it in Spock's neck. “You shall stay that way.” Nero moved to the foot of the bed. “This one just stops you moving. You see, you have been compliant. You undressed for me, let me shower you and lay here, naked for my taking.” He was still smiling as he climbed onto the bottom of the bed and crawled his way upwards over Spock's body.  
He stopped midway, looking down at Spock's genitals before continuing up until he was bearing down over him. 

“I could take you right now,” he hissed quietly. “Your friend is a weak human and he couldn't stop me.” 

Spock closed his eyes in disgust. 

“But do you want to know the truth? I wouldn't touch you if you and I were the last creatures in the universe. You disgust me.” His words were so hate-filled that Spock opened his eyes and looked into the man bearing over him.  
“The thought of taking you, even to humiliate and dominate you is one I could never partake in. I am simply not that sick. So you're lucky, really. Lucky to be so repulsive.” He crawled back down Spock's body, his hand briefly ghosting against Spock's abdomen before withdrawing. 

Spock shuddered against it, in fear and relief at how utterly helpless he was at that moment. 

Nero left, closing and locking the door behind him. 

~

Exhaustion caught up with Spock and he slept. 

When he next woke, he was still in the same room, still alone, still unable to move. Stuck with nothing he could do, Spock would drift in and out of consciousness over and over again. 

He lost track of how long he was locked in the room. In brief moments of consciousness, he thought about McCoy and what he must be thinking. He hoped if he got a chance he would leave.  
Then eventually he woke and could move. He felt heavy limbed and his mind was hazy but he could move. Not long after he woke, Nero entered and threw clothes on top of him. 

“Dress. Quickly,” he barked. 

Spock didn't think he was capable of dressing himself quickly, but he did his best. 

Nero marched Spock into the concealed control room he had stayed in. It was the first Spock had seen of it. Spock watched as he pressed certain buttons and commands into a control panel, he kept a hold of Spock's arm the whole time. 

Unknown to Spock, Nero unlocked the house from its lockdown situation, allowing McCoy freedom and then sealing the door behind them. There was no way out for them besides the beam out Nero was awaiting. He used his device to beam his co-ordinates up to his waiting ship. 

Moments later Spock felt himself start to dematerialize and maybe it was his imagination, but he was certain he heard McCoy calling after him second before everything vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's all I've got. 
> 
> The idea from here was that Nero takes Spock and he's missing for some amount of time and the others trying to find him but I think I'll just leave this here.


End file.
